So, I feel as if I'm in a beautiful place right now. I am not a bit anxious to be home but at the same time, I know it is fast approaching. I am starting to look forward to going home and seeing my friends but I'm neither consumed by it or dreading it. I am loving every minute of being here.

Dom, my main LIT, has finally opened up to me. After a long summer of one word answers and plenty of jokes, he has finally allowed me to see a part of his heart. Everyday I have with these kids proves more and more that God wants to use me in a powerful way. Dom has been on this kick lately calling me a hick. I really don't think he knows what a hick is... but none the less it's pretty funny. One day this week he came up to me acting all tough and cool and asked how we were going to continue this relationship thing when I go back to hickville. My heart smiled because of how he was trying to act all cool but his heart was very visible. He gave me his phone number and then he told me that he would come visit me and go line dancing with me in hick country. Tasha, my other LIT, and I have been getting really close. We go shopping together and out to eat. It's really cool to see a 15 year old hang out with a bunch of college girls. It brings a lot of laughter and silliness into the mix. I see a compassionate heart in Tasha the more time I spend with her. She cares for those who are hurting. I can see a lot of myself in her.

This summer has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I have cried and laughed (A LOT). I have loved and been loved in return (A LOT). I have matured into more of the woman God wants me to be. I've learned a lot and been blessed a lot. I have finally had some significant progress in my journey toward healing. And it was something that was allowed, even encouraged here. Every time I found a reason to give up and keep my heart hard, someone came along and told me that that wasn't allowed. I have spent a significant part of my life being so hard on myself that at times I felt as if I couldn't breathe underneath the pressure. Coming to a place where the people refused to let me be hard on myself during this particular part of my journey changed my life. I hated everyone around at first because I felt as though they were lying to me, telling me I'm beautiful, and that it's okay to feel angry and sad about unjust things that happen to me. My strongholds were screaming at me because they were no longer safe in the place they had created in my heart. But God is changing that. More and bigger holes are being chiseled out of my thick cocoon where God's light is shining though brighter and brighter everyday.

I look forward to going home and sharing with my friends all the amazing things God has done in me and through me this summer!